grossing placenta

From:

Steven Slap

Hi HistoNetters
Louri Caldwell describes a common problem, of a pathologist (or p.a.),
refusing to gross tissue thin enough to allow for decent processing. Unless
this placenta tissue is left in formalin for many hours, the formalin will
never penetrate to the center, much less fully crosslink.
In Louri's case, at least the pathologist has been honest enough to admit
that he or she finds it "too hard" to gross the fresh tissue properly. In
this case, I would recommend a microwave stabilization step. The whole
organ can be placed in normal buffered saline (or formalin- it doesn't
really matter) and microwaved at 50 degrees C for about 30 minutes. The
resulting stabilized tissue can then easily be "breadloafed" into
appropriately thin sections for subsequent either conventional or microwave
fixation and processing.
best regards,
Steven Slap
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Marketing Manager/Microwave Product Specialist
Hacker Instruments & Industries, Inc.
http://www.hackerinstruments.com
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